10,000 Talents

(Part 1 of 2)  Matthew 18 Jesus tells a story about a King who forgives an enormous debt of 10,000 Talents. The servant who was forgiven the debt does not forgive the man who owes him a smaller, but not insignificant debt. What are the nuts and bolts of forgiveness? Why is it so hard to forgive?

There is a binding chain that develops between two people when you feel someone owes you an apology––or more. It doesn't seem fair for you to give to the person who has already owes you. How can it make sense to forgive? As long as you believe someone owes you something,  you are emotionally bound to them. While not easy, Jesus draws our attention to the fact that (although we don't feel it) we have all been forgiven much––10,000 Talents––more than we can repay. If we focus on the forgiveness we have received, and the gifts God has given us, forgiveness is easier. But rarely is it easy. It goes against our feelings of justice and fairness. Envy and rumination keep us focused in the wrong place. We must allow our faith in God's love for us, and faith in God's justice to prevail. It takes effort to feel God's love when others dismiss you. Forgiveness is probably the highest form of faith. Ultimately we want to be like Jesus more than we want immediate justice. We therefore follow Jesus' example and forgive.

Photo by Jingming Pan on Unsplash